It’s a Dog’s life

I am Tommy. This is my story.

I used to be a cold-blooded vicious individual, proudly bringing respect to my family lineage. I am a hired gun. A mercenary. I was trained with selected individuals, hailing from different bloodlines and colour and nativity in a specialized facility, known only to a few as The Kennel. I was taught from an early age to master the art of strategic warfare and paw-to-paw combat. I gained mastery in using my senses and different body parts to achieve my aim. We used to do precise jumps from hoops, learn the scents of different explosives and narcotics and learning how to perform search and rescue missions.

It was a cold, December night when the Kapoors came to the facility seeking a professional’s assistance in safeguarding their house. They were a normal upper middle class family with a kid named, Rohan. The day I entered their household I met every member and the staff of the client and did a recce of the entire place sniffing and looking for places where an intruder can come in.

I had asked for a separate cottage and got one to my liking. It was sparsely filled with only the essentials required for my living and a bone which would help me think about the ways to fortify the place.

I did what was asked of me. I protected the family from all attacks. I kept awake every night, patrolling the grounds, my eyes keen on any unusual activity. There were several attempts to break in, but my war cry always made the intruders consider their decisions once more. There was one incident where a man actually dared to enter the premises and I showed that it was a mistake which had no forgiveness. We entered into a brawl. He whacked me on my head. I was disoriented for a couple of seconds but I controlled myself. The next time he swung, I was ready. I bent down and as he lost his balance, I positioned myself and bit his bum aur uska nikal gaya dum. I caught a chunk of flesh and spit it out. And he then looked at me and saw me in my enraged form: death in my eyes, blood dripping from my mouth, my jaws clenched and my body tensed and ready to attack at one wrong move of his. He did right by backing off from the fight. There would have been only one survivor and that wouldn’t have been him.

However, during my stay, I also felt something in me change. Rohan used to love me and play with me. However, he was very lazy. I had to wake him up from a slumber every single day. And he had this weird playing habit. He liked to throw balls very much. Thank god that I was working out and keeping fit, so I could fetch the ball every time. We started connecting and slowly I moved into his room where I was more strategically placed to protect him.

Also, I found that, at Sharmas, across the street, Lucy was giving me signals. At first, I connected with her as to build a strategic advantage to protect this family. But slowly, we had this weird connection that I couldn’t understand at first. However, as time passed, I learned that what we felt was true louuuuve between two soulmates. I hope, someday, we can make something out of it. Hope someday, the street won’t be so wide. Hope the Kapoors and the Sharmas someday, be joined in a loving bond.

But all these feelings can never make me forget my assignment. I will always keep guard for this family. I will always save the day. I can do what no one can't, because I'm a CAN-ine.

I will stand as a watchful protector.

A barking guardian.

A Black Dog.